Marriage After God

Latest Episodes:

Don’t Doubt in the Dark: Raising Kids Who Can Wrestle with Faith Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

How to pass God’s Word to your kids and trust Him with their hearts.

About This Episode What if the most important thing you can give your kids isn’t a perfect family devotional time, but a pattern? And what do you do when your child says, “I’m not sure I believe that”? Melissa Kruger joins us to share how she and her husband raised three kids in the Word, and why saying “I don’t know” helped their kids trust them more.

About Melissa Kruger Melissa Kruger oversees women’s initiatives at The Gospel Coalition and is the author of several books. She and her husband, Michael, a New Testament professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, have been married 29 years and have three adult children. Before having kids, Melissa taught high school math. Together, Melissa and Michael recently wrote a 52-week family devotional on the Gospel of Mark and launched Word First, a ministry that equips families to read Scripture together.

In This Episode 01:11 — Three kids, three very different callings. One is on the mission field, one is building rockets, and one is an English major. Melissa shares what each of them is doing now. 03:45 — Studying under a skeptic. Melissa describes sitting under Bart Ehrman at UNC and watching students take the “off-ramp” from their faith. 08:23 — Why intelligence isn’t the issue. Why a brilliant scholar can study the Bible daily and remain unchanged. 10:43 — You can’t save your kids. What parents can and can’t do, and the “rich inheritance” a child may choose to squander or treasure. 14:10 — “We’re a Christian family” isn’t enough. The question many parents are quietly relying on the wrong answer to. 16:49 — Sit-ups for the soul. A sports analogy that reframes what spiritual preparation for kids actually looks like. 18:10 — They don’t know you’re weird yet. Why the early years are a parent’s greatest advantage. 20:08 — Keep the main thing the main thing. The one outcome that matters more than tutors, trophies, or careers. 26:18 — The antidote to hypocrisy. Why repenting in front of your kids matters. 28:08 — “How do you tell a good lie?” A breakfast-table question that turned into an apologetic for the Gospels. 30:11 — When the scholar says “I don’t know.” Why admitting you don’t have the answer builds trust. 31:56 — Don’t doubt in the dark. The scariest moment for a parent, and how to keep the conversation open. 35:21 — Ask before you lecture. What a high school math classroom taught Melissa about reaching teenagers. 41:02 — Patterns, not perfection. The simple index-card prayer system her daughter recreated in college. 45:29 — Deuteronomy 6 and the wax seal. Why the devotional starts with the parent before it reaches the kids.

Resources from This Episode The Good News Family Devotional https://goodnewsfamilydevotional.com/#order — A 52-week family devotional through the Gospel of Mark Word First https://wordfirst.org/ The Gospel Coalition https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/

Grieving the Loss of a Child in Marriage with Matthew Efird Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

A dad's story of losing his son Noah to trisomy 13, and the two questions that protected his marriage

About This Episode Everybody grieves, but not everybody mourns well. What does it look like to lean into your faith instead of away from it when you are handed the news that your child will not survive? And what does that season do to a marriage? In this episode, Aaron sits down with Matthew Efird, a husband, father of four boys, business owner, and author, who shares the story of his son Noah, the 57 and a half hours he got to hold him, and the two questions that kept his marriage from coming apart in the fog of grief.

About Matthew Efird Matthew Efird is a follower of Jesus, a husband to his high school sweetheart Hannah, and a father of four boys. In 2019, he and Hannah learned their second son, Noah, had trisomy 13, a lethal diagnosis; Noah was born in March 2020 and lived 57 and a half hours. A former associate pastor, Matthew now runs an outdoor pest control company, an outdoor lighting company, and a lighting franchise, and speaks at churches, conferences, and organizations on empathetic leadership. He is the author of Even Though We Will, a book written from a dad's perspective on walking through child loss.

In This Episode 00:00 — A note before you listen — Aaron opens with caution for anyone currently walking through loss: this conversation may be exactly the strength you need, or it may be too heavy for today. 03:12 — Who Matthew is — High school sweethearts, four boys, a few businesses, and a son who would be turning seven this year. 06:50 — Building the ark before the storm — Why a long-distance dating relationship, premarital mentors, and Thursday date nights turned out to matter more than Matthew and Hannah could have known. 12:54 — Accountability that holds you close and calls you higher — Matthew reframes a word many believers flinch at. 14:09 — "It's okay to not be okay. It's not okay to stay there." — At 28, with a diagnosis in hand, Matthew learned what it means to default to your highest level of training. 18:08 — Everybody grieves, not everybody mourns well — A friend still stuck seven years after tragedy, and the difference between grief that keeps you at the grave and mourning that moves you forward. 21:54 — The ultrasound room — An 18-month-old distracting his parents while the technician keeps measuring the same thing over and over. 25:32 — What is going to be our story? — Standing on the back porch on speakerphone, Matthew and Hannah made a choice about which direction they would lean. 28:47 — Where "Even Though We Will" came from — A father who read his Bible every morning, the book of Job, and a family slogan born on the hardest day. 33:25 — The question the neonatologist asked — "How is your marriage?" and why the answer would shape the next forty years. 38:07 — 57 and a half hours — A fast delivery, a full room of family and friends, and a hospital that closed to visitors the day after they left. 41:05 — What I deserve and what I've been given — Matthew connects the loss of his son directly to the gospel. 42:45 — "Noah never experienced me letting him down" — The journal entry that stopped Matthew mid-sentence. 49:18 — What Job's friends got right before they opened their mouths — Why presence, not words, is what someone in grief needs, and what drive-by advice does instead. 52:30 — Practical ways to show up — Grass, laundry, gift cards, date nights, and the kids who often get overlooked. 57:03 — The two questions that saved hard conversations — What Hannah asked instead of "Are you okay?" when Matthew snapped over the trash. 1:00:07 — Empathy is a tool, not a measuring stick — Matthew's go-to response when someone shares a loss, and why he never leads with his own story. 1:07:11 — Who the book is for — Dads without words, wives trying to understand their husbands, and the community that wants to help but doesn't know how.

Scripture Referenced Job 13:15 Matthew 5:4 Romans 3:23 Romans 6:23 Romans 12:2 Romans 12:15 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 2 Corinthians 5:21 1 Peter 4:12

Resources from This Episode Even Though We Will by Matthew Efird Matthew's website

Connect with Marriage After God Website: marriageaftergod.com Shop books, devotionals, and prayer journals: shop.marriageaftergod.com Follow Marriage After God: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · TikTok Follow Aaron and Jennifer: Husband Revolution · Unveiled Wife Want to go deeper? Become a patron and help us keep creating resources for marriages that pursue God together.

If this conversation encouraged you, please share it with a couple you love, and subscribe wherever you listen. As an Amazon Associate, Marriage After God earns from qualifying purchases. Smith Family Resources, Inc © 2026

Grace-Based vs. Performance-Based Marriage with Brad Rhoads Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

Performance-based vs. grace-based marriage, and why "You're not okay, and it's okay" changes how you love

About This Episode Most of us walked into marriage believing love was enough — that if you meant your vows, everything would just work. Brad Rhoads lived that lie for the first year of his marriage and nearly lost the best thing God had given him. What turned it around wasn't a marriage strategy or a communication framework. It was grace — the same grace God extends to us — applied to the person who knows the worst things about you. In this episode, Brad shares what a grace-based marriage actually looks like versus a performance-based one, why the church has largely left marriages to fend for themselves, and how resting in the gospel changes everything about the way you love your spouse. Brad Rhoads is an attorney-turned-pastor who left a 22-year law career to launch Grace Marriage, a ministry that equips churches with ongoing marriage discipleship.

About Brad Rhoads Brad Rhoads is a civil litigation attorney who left his law practice in 2015 to found Grace Marriage, a ministry dedicated to equipping churches with ongoing marriage discipleship platforms. He and his wife Marilyn have been married 30 years and have five children. Brad serves as a pastor of marriage at his church and is the author of The Grace Marriage, published by Moody Publishers.

In This Episode [00:52] — Who is Brad Rhoads? — Brad shares his background as a civil litigation attorney, how he and Marilyn built a two-year waiting list just by having a great marriage, and what prompted him to leave law and launch Grace Marriage full time. [03:21] — "We want what you have" — The moment a young couple asked Brad and Marilyn to do their premarital counseling because their marriage looked fun — and what that kind of testimony actually requires. [04:03] — The church's missing strategy for marriage — Brad breaks down why he thinks the church's default approach — premarital prep, then nothing until crisis — is one of the dumbest strategies he's ever seen, and what a real marriage discipleship model looks like. [06:15] — The first year: neglected and miserable — Brad recounts how pouring everything into his law practice while Marilyn cried two or three times a week led him to the wrong conclusion: that her "hypersensitivity" was the problem. [08:39] — "I'm off your roller coaster" — How Marilyn's encounter with Christ's sufficiency changed everything — and why Brad had to be forced to a marriage conference before he finally saw what he was doing. [10:55] — The sowing-and-reaping rule Brad forgot — The moment Brad realized marriage was the one area of his life where he thought he could sow nothing and still reap everything — and what it looks like to actually turn that around. [13:20] — Why marriage thrives on intentionality — Brad explains why "we love each other, we're fine" is a dangerous myth — and how neglect quietly destroys the one thing that matters most. [14:44] — Why the church is responsible — Brad makes the case that when the church leaves the marriage space wide open, the world fills it — and couples drift toward either a norm they can tolerate or a crisis, with nothing in between. [18:52] — Redefining success — Why the people Brad most wanted to impress were telling him he was succeeding, while the people who loved him most knew he was failing — and what a real redefinition of success looks like for a Christian man. [25:53] — Why younger couples aren't looking to older ones — Brad addresses why older couples have stepped back from modeling marriage to younger generations, and what changes when they pursue a marriage worth observing. [31:15] — Performance-based vs. grace-based marriage — The core framework from Brad's book: how performance-based marriages give and withdraw love based on how you're being treated, and how a grace-based marriage responds the way Christ does — by moving toward, not away. [34:53] — Grace looks like this — Brad shares how a hard three weeks with his dad's illness and emotional absence from Marilyn was met not with distance or resentment, but with prayer, pursuit, and peace — because their marriage is built on Jesus, not performance. [40:04] — "You're not okay, and it's okay" — The moment God spoke to Brad in his den and, for the first time, he could finally breathe — and how releasing performance-based faith changed the way he loved people, including his wife. [45:12] — New creation theology and what God sees — Brad and Aaron unpack what it means to believe the old is gone and the new has come — that God isn't looking through your sin, he's seeing a cleansed, beloved son or daughter — and how that shifts everything.

Scripture Referenced Psalm 46:10 Proverbs 18:1 Proverbs 24:16 Ecclesiastes 4:10 Matthew 11:28–30 Luke 6:32–33 Luke 10:38–42 Luke 12:16–21 John 15:5 Romans 5:8 Romans 6:14 2 Corinthians 5:17 Galatians 5:1 Ephesians 5:25 Hebrews 4:11 1 Peter 3:7

Resources from This Episode The Grace Marriage by Brad Rhoads Grace Marriage Ministry — Equipping churches with ongoing marriage discipleship platforms

How Your Marriage Affects Your Children with Jennifer Pepito Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

Jennifer Pepito on what complaining does to a husband and what your marriage is teaching your kids

About This Episode Jennifer Pepito's daughter told her the thing that actually hurt growing up wasn't the hard years in Mexico, the off-grid living, or any of their circumstances. It was watching her parents. That answer forced Jennifer to look honestly at what her fear, her complaining, and her disconnection from her husband were really building inside her home. In this episode, Jennifer — married 36 years, homeschooling mom of seven, and author of The Inspired Homeschool — walks through what changed, what she wished she'd done differently, and why the atmosphere of a marriage is the single most powerful curriculum a home can offer.

About Jennifer Pepito Jennifer Pepito is a homeschooling mother of seven, now 30 years into educating her children at home, and the author of The Inspired Homeschool. She creates life-giving curriculum through The Peaceful Press and hosts the Restoration Home Podcast, where she encourages mothers toward joy-filled, virtue-centered homes. Jennifer and her husband have been married 36 years and are now grandparents. Her work draws on neuroscience, Scripture, and personal experience to help mothers build homes rooted in peace rather than fear. The Inspired Homeschool The Peaceful Press Podcast: Restoration Home Podcast

In This Episode 00:52 — Jennifer's story — Married 36 years, homeschooling for 30, seven children — Jennifer gives a quick snapshot of who she is and what drives her work encouraging mothers. 04:14 — The marriage conference that changed everything — Jennifer shares how Love After Marriage was the first time she recognized she was drawing emotional fulfillment from her children instead of God, and the first time she saw how her childhood wounds were shaping her behavior as a wife. 06:02 — When a loving home can still feel unsafe — Even when Jennifer poured herself into her kids, unresolved fear and marital conflict were creating an atmosphere that made her children feel like the problem. Her oldest daughter's honest words years later confirmed it. 07:37 — Why community changes people — Aaron and Jennifer talk about the science behind co-regulation, why talking with empathetic people accelerates healing, and what that means for the conference Aaron and Jennifer are praying about. 09:01 — When science points back to God — A conversation about why honest science and Scripture keep landing in the same place — and what that means for the way we're designed to do life together. 11:37 — What the public school system was actually built to do — Jennifer breaks down the origins of American public education, why conformity was the goal, and why Christian homeschool families keep measuring their children against a failed and counter-biblical standard. 14:13 — You don't have to have it all figured out — The encouragement homeschool moms who feel unqualified need to hear: you become a learner with your child, and curiosity is more powerful than any curriculum. 17:41 — Reading, writing, and arithmetic as the real foundation — Aaron and Jennifer agree: if children master the basics and learn how to learn, they can teach themselves anything. The educated men and women of history prove it. 18:18 — Why reading great books builds character — The imagination to sacrifice, to lead, to love others well — it has to be cultivated. Jennifer explains why the books children read either build or starve that vision. 23:03 — The missionary season that stressed everything — Moving to Mexico near Tijuana, building a house off-grid, five kids, no cell service, no community. Jennifer walks through how the circumstances didn't break her kids — but her response to the circumstances did. 25:55 — What complaining actually does to a husband — One of the most direct and practical moments in the episode. Jennifer explains the cycle she got stuck in and what she would tell a young mom today. 29:09 — The husband's side of the complaint cycle — Aaron shares how hard it is to hear a wife's struggle without internalizing it as failure, and what it takes to find security in Christ before you can respond well. 32:14 — What changed and what bore fruit — Jennifer walks through the practical shifts — less fighting in front of the kids, learning to take negative thoughts captive, cultivating thankfulness in the hardest seasons. 35:22 — Philippians 4:6–7 and the power of thanksgiving — Aaron unpacks why coming to God with thanksgiving isn't just a nice idea — it's the mechanism by which the peace of God guards the heart and mind. 41:07 — Recognizing the enemy's voice — Jennifer ties together the whole episode: the lies that come to us are the same pattern from Genesis forward. The question is always whether we'll agree with them or take them captive. 41:40 — Encouragement for anyone considering homeschool — Jennifer closes with a direct word for families on the fence: it's not as hard as you think, history backs you up, and if God is calling you to it, He will equip you.

Scripture Referenced Deuteronomy 6:6–7 Psalm 37:4 Proverbs 14:1 John 15:13 2 Corinthians 10:5 Philippians 4:4 Philippians 4:6–7 Hebrews 12:2 1 Peter 5:8

Resources from This Episode The Inspired Homeschool by Jennifer Pepito The Peaceful Press — Jennifer's homeschool curriculum Restoration Home Podcast — hosted by Jennifer Pepito Mothering by the Book by Jennifer Pepito The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto Tending the Heart of Virtue by Vigen Guroian One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Feeling Disconnected in Marriage: It's Not Communication with Genee Francis Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

Why "we can't communicate" is really an intimacy problem, from WinShape Marriage therapist Dr. Genee Francis

About This Episode What if the disconnection you feel in your marriage isn't really a communication problem — but an intimacy problem? That's the reframe Dr. Genee Francis brought to this conversation, and it's one every couple needs to hear. Genee is a licensed therapist, holds a doctorate, and serves as Assistant Director of Content and Programming for WinShape Marriage. She's been married 18 years and has walked her own marriage through grief, legal battles, health crises, and the slow work of building real community — and she shares all of it here.

About Dr. Genee Francis Dr. Genee Francis is a licensed therapist and the Assistant Director of Content and Programming for WinShape Marriage, a ministry of the WinShape Foundation. She has been working with couples, individuals, and families since 2008 and holds a doctorate degree completed during her marriage while raising two boys. Married 18 years to her husband Rashad, the two also lead their own marriage events and retreats to create community for couples in their area. WinShape Marriage

In This Episode 3:32 — A grandmother's words that stuck — A seed that shaped an entire career in counseling 5:28 — Growing up between two pictures of marriage — With divorced parents and grandparents married over 70 years, Genee developed a deep curiosity about what makes marriages survive — and it never left her 7:59 — Covenant as the deciding factor — Why the marriages that make it aren't the ones with fewer problems, but the ones committed first to God and then to doing the work together 11:02 — Navigating grief, legal battles, and a new baby at the same time — Within their first five years, Genee and Rashad walked through her father-in-law's terminal illness, a two-year estate battle, and the birth of their first child — and what carried them through 16:30 — Prayer as a window into your spouse — When her husband couldn't find words for his grief, their shared prayer life gave Genee eyes into what he was actually feeling and thinking 19:01 — A second unexpected crisis — After two pregnancies, Genee learned she needed a full hip replacement — a blindside for someone who had jogged five days a week for her entire adult life 22:10 — Nine years of couples' Bible study — Why being embedded in a community of couples for nearly a decade was one of the most formative things for their marriage, and what they lost when they relocated 28:27 — Why infertility is a rising theme — One of the most common struggles Genee sees at WinShape retreats, and what she believes is driving it 38:03 — It's not a communication problem — it's an intimacy problem — The reframe Genee offers couples who say they "can't talk": spiritual, emotional, and recreational intimacy are all lacking, and naming that honestly is the first step forward 40:42 — The power of naming things out loud — Why confession — saying "I feel disconnected from you" — is the most underused first step couples have available to them 43:25 — What actually feeds your marriage in community — Why Genee stayed committed to a Bible study that wasn't always speaking directly to her, and what it gave her husband that came back into their marriage 46:05 — A reason for hope — Divorce rates are slowly declining, and marriage is trending — what Genee sees as genuinely encouraging about where couples are headed

Scripture Referenced Ecclesiastes 1:9 Matthew 7:12 Acts 20:35 Hebrews 4:15

Resources from This Episode WinShape Foundation WinShape Marriage retreats — North Georgia, 27,000-acre retreat location, all-inclusive, all stages of marriage

A Biblical View of Children, Motherhood, and the Home with Emma Waters Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

The fear of motherhood that nearly ended her relationship, and what Jael's tent peg teaches about the home

About This Episode What if you've been believing a lie about children without ever knowing it? Emma Waters was. When talk of marriage turned to kids, she realized she was terrified of becoming a mother, and she broke up with the godly man she loved over it. A mentor's loving challenge sent her into God's Word, where she found that every negative word about children in the Bible belongs to the villains of the story. In this conversation, Aaron and Emma talk about why the trad wife movement and girl boss feminism are more alike than they seem, what a 3,000-year-old tent peg reveals about faithfulness in the mundane, why the enemy has always targeted the home, and how to stop treating your home like a waiting room for your real life.

About Emma Waters Emma Waters is a policy analyst for the Heritage Foundation, where she focuses on infertility, reproductive technology, and family structure from a life-affirming perspective. She writes for First Things and World magazine on issues of family, femininity, and what it means to be human in an age of rapid technological change. Emma is married to Jack Waters, who is pursuing ordination in the Anglican Church of North America, and together they have two daughters with a third on the way. She is the author of Lead Like Jael: Seven Timeless Principles for Today's Women of Faith and hosts a podcast and Substack at rethinkingfertility.com.

In This Episode Afraid of motherhood — How one conversation about kids led Emma to end things with the man she now calls her husband "Either you're right, or the Bible's right" — The mentor's challenge that sent her searching the Scriptures Children in the Bible — Why every negative word about children belongs to the villains of the story Speaking life over children — Aaron on breaking the habit of negative talk about kids The myth of moral neutrality — Why Christians were never meant to leave their faith at home Trad wife and girl boss — Why two opposite movements are more alike than they look Jael's tent peg — She could only do what she did because she had been faithful in the mundane The battle for the home — Why the enemy's first attack happened in the Garden, and what ezer kenegdo says about a wife as battlemate Faithful to the season — Why both "my life is over" and "it's only a few years" get it wrong

Scripture Referenced Judges 4 · Genesis 1–3 · 2 Samuel 11 · Proverbs 31 · Matthew 18:3 · John 10:10 · John 12:24 · Romans 12:2 · 1 John 4:1

Resources from This Episode Book: Lead Like Jael: Seven Timeless Principles for Today's Women of Faith by Emma Waters — available wherever books are sold Website, Podcast & Substack: rethinkingfertility.com Book referenced: The Glory of Man by Peter Leithart Book referenced: The Three Worlds Framework by Aaron Renn (Zondervan) Full show notes and blog post

How to Have a Marriage After God | Marriage Devotional Week 30 Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

The series finale: the Gethsemane moment that transformed our marriage, and what surrender actually changes

About This Episode Most of us want a marriage that looks impressive. God is after a marriage that tells the truth about struggle, grace, and what Christ can do when two people finally let go. In the final episode of the 30-week Marriage After God devotional series, Aaron and Jennifer share the story that changed everything for them: a hopeless season a few years into marriage, a silent Sunday drive to church, and the moment the Holy Spirit brought Aaron to Jesus praying in Gethsemane. If Jesus could surrender His will for a bride who would fail Him, could Aaron do the same for his? That question broke him, and the promise he made to Jennifer that day became the foundation of everything they've built since. This episode is for the couple who feels like there's nothing left, and for the couple who wants their marriage to be something others can imitate.

About Aaron & Jennifer Smith Aaron and Jennifer Smith are the founders of Marriage After God and authors of Husband After God, Wife After God, and Marriage After God. Married since 2007 and raising six children in Bend, Oregon, they started Husband Revolution and Unveiled Wife to share what God was teaching them, not from a place of having it figured out, but as fellow travelers pointing couples back to Jesus.

In This Episode 00:27 — Series finale — Thirty weeks through Husband After God and Wife After God, what's coming this fall, and how to send topic ideas 01:52 — Transformation from the inside out — "Not about perfection, but about progress" — why a transformed spouse means a transformed marriage 03:45 — Investing in your marriage — God's Word, marriage books, Bible studies, and asking God where He wants to grow you 04:39 — The story from Husband After God — A few years in, trying on their own strength, and feeling hopeless for the first time 06:03 — A cold, quiet car ride to church — Emotionally upset, numb, and barely present for the sermon 07:34 — Matthew 26:36–44 — Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane: "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me" 09:04 — "My soul is very sorrowful" — Why Jesus can relate to a husband or wife in despair 10:23 — What God showed Aaron — If My Son could yield for His bride, can you yield for yours? 11:50 — "While we were still sinners" — Love that doesn't wait for your spouse to change first 12:49 — The apology and the promise — "I promise to love you like Christ" — and what it did to Jennifer's heart 13:48 — What changed and what didn't — Trusting each other because they were trusting God 15:42 — Reframing expectations — From "what I want" to "God, what is Your design for marriage?" 16:09 — The cup of wrath — The Passover cups, Jesus' human will, and "not my will, but yours" as the start of every transformation 18:06 — For the couple with nothing left — How God's Word confronts hopelessness 19:05 — The birth of Unveiled Wife and Husband Revolution — Sharing the journey, not a finished product 21:22 — Confession and transparency — Why bringing struggles into the light dissipates the power of darkness 23:14 — Falling in love again — How praying "help me love my wife / respect my husband" changed the way they saw each other 24:41 — Personal transformation comes first — Your relationship with God is where the transformation flows from 25:09 — Steps of faith — Share your journey, find godly couples, and be careful of friends who lead you away from truth 26:05 — "All of our marriages are proclaiming a message" — What message is yours showing the world? 27:31 — Not a perfect marriage — Reconciliation, perseverance, and restoration are the message of the gospel 28:29 — What a marriage after God is — Jennifer's definition: accepts hard times, perseveres, stays constant in the Word and prayer 29:29 — Sanctification is a lifelong pursuit — Not a one-time transformation 29:59 — "A marriage after God is one that others can imitate" — Closing quote from the Marriage After God book 30:28 — Discussion questions — Affectionate gestures that draw you closer, and the hardest part of writing a love letter 31:51 — This week's call to action — Write a love letter to your spouse and share it with them 33:47 — Congratulations — You finished the series — share it with another couple 34:30 — Closing prayer — "Bring hope where there's hopelessness, peace where there's chaos"

Scripture Referenced Matthew 26:36–44, Romans 5:8, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 11:1

Resources from This Episode Husband After God by Aaron Smith (also in our shop) Wife After God by Jennifer Smith (also in our shop) Marriage After God by Aaron & Jennifer Smith (also in our shop) Full show notes and blog post Start the series from the beginning: all 30 devotional episodes Send topic ideas for future episodes to @marriageaftergod on Instagram

Navigating Media as a Christian Family with Dan and Peggy Rupple Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

48 years married inside Hollywood: be a Daniel, guard your non-negotiables, and navigate media with your kids

About This Episode When Dan Rupple tells a studio executive he has been married 48 years, the reply is usually, "To the same woman?" Dan and Peggy have spent nearly five decades inside the entertainment industry and came out with their marriage, faith, and family intact. Aaron sits down with them to hear how. Dan was being considered for the original Saturday Night Live cast when he opened a Bible to the Beatitudes and gave his life to Christ; within days his whole sketch group followed, and Christian comedy was born. Peggy shares her 35-year battle with cancer and why she says God writes epics when you hand Him the pen. From there the conversation turns to why Hollywood is in crisis, why Christian film is getting better, how to be a Daniel in any workplace, how parents can navigate movies and AI with their kids, and the non-negotiables that kept the Rupples' marriage strong, including a $300,000 job Dan turned down to coach Little League.

About Dan & Peggy Rupple Dan Rupple is the CEO of Master Media International, a ministry serving as a Christian presence and voice of faith inside the mainstream entertainment industry, where he and his wife, Peggy, see themselves as chaplains to the entertainment industry. Dan has spent over 50 years in Hollywood, from the pioneering Christian comedy group Isaac Air Freight and being considered for SNL's original cast, to supervising producer roles on The Price Is Right and Late Show with David Letterman, to nine years in Biola University's film program. He co-founded the WindRider Film Forum at Sundance and has served on four pastoral staffs. Peggy has walked alongside him through every chapter, learning the industry on the road and at CBS, and has outlived a five-year cancer prognosis by decades. Married 48 years, they have three married children and seven grandchildren. Dan's new book, Glimpses: Viewing the Media Through the Lens of Faith, is available at mastermedia.com.

In This Episode 00:00 — Intro — Getting cameras and framing set before the conversation begins 01:58 — Welcome Dan and Peggy Rupple — Aaron introduces a couple serving God inside the media industry 02:43 — Meeting at Knott's Berry Farm — A Christian night 49 years ago led to marriage within a year, three kids, and seven grandkids 05:11 — Nearly Cast on Saturday Night Live — Dan's sketch group was opening for Lily Tomlin when God met him in the Beatitudes 06:25 — The Birth of Christian Comedy — All three partners came to Christ the same week in 1977 and Chuck Smith opened the church doors 07:21 — Peggy's 35-Year Battle with Cancer — Six bouts of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and a five-year prognosis God has far outlived 08:43 — Shared Southern California Roots — Aaron was born in Dan's hometown and grew up in the same Calvary Chapel world 10:36 — Fifteen Years on the Road — Touring, eight albums, and a first record that sold half a million copies 15:26 — Why Hollywood Is in Crisis — Studios stopped listening to audiences and Disney's film division fell $1.4 billion in the red 16:45 — What the Top 25 Films Have in Common — Nearly every box office hit is built on justice, mercy, forgiveness, and love 17:13 — Christian Film Is Getting Better — The Chosen, House of David, and a generation with a film studio in their pocket 19:54 — An Army of Storytellers — Master Media's role preparing filmmakers and the thousands of believers now inside the industry 20:41 — Salt of the Earth — Being in the world but not of it, and filtering every story through the Word of God 23:13 — How Do Parents Navigate Media? — Aaron asks how to guide kids without demonizing everything 24:06 — Age-Appropriate, Screened, and Discussed — Dan and Peggy's principles for movies with kids and a warning about unlimited phone access 25:59 — Preparing Students for Hollywood — Nine years in Biola's film program and calming nervous parents 27:38 — Be a Daniel — Excellence, no compromise, an ambassador mindset, and the story your life tells 29:41 — Your Workplace Is a Mission Field — Aaron applies the mandate to every believer, from bank teller to trash truck driver 30:43 — Students Only Asked About Marriage — When Peggy joined Dan on campus, every question turned to family and faithfulness 32:27 — Including Your Spouse in the Calling — Peggy learned the industry alongside Dan, from touring to CBS 34:16 — Turning Down $300,000 to Coach Little League — Dan's family-first absolutes while supervising The Price Is Right 35:25 — Non-Negotiables That Protect a Marriage — Divorce never in the vocabulary, never calling each other stupid, and filtering every shiny opportunity 37:02 — Critical Thinking, Not Just Rules — Aaron on raising a teenager who loves movies in a media-saturated world 39:41 — God Wired Us for Story — Most of the Bible is narrative, so screen wisely and stay a safe place for your kids 41:45 — AI and the Loss of Imagination — Deepfakes, discernment, and a professor who said to go sit under a tree and think 44:29 — WindRider at Sundance — 23 years of taking students into the festival with devotions, and the most thoughtful Q&A there 49:28 — Christian Films Should Start in Act Four — Ordinary people doing extraordinary things because of their faith, plus WindRider Studios' free film library 51:29 — Faith Is the Invisible Pathway — Aaron's Indiana Jones illustration and asking what longing drives a story 55:22 — God Brought Purpose — From comedy dreams to chaplains for the entertainment industry and Christian media communities nationwide 60:09 — Glimpses: Viewing the Media Through the Lens of Faith — Dan's new book of 52 storyboard essays, available at mastermedia.com

Scripture Referenced Matthew 5:3, Matthew 5:13–16, Matthew 10:16, Genesis 1:1, Daniel 6:3, Acts 1:8, Acts 8:1–4

Resources from This Episode Glimpses: Viewing the Media Through the Lens of Faith by Dan Rupple Master Media International WindRider Film Forum Act One Masters Class in screenwriting and producing Plugged In (movie reviews for parents) Full show notes and blog post

Raising Courageous Kids in Unprecedented Times w/ Isaac and Angie Tolpin Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

Could you let your child tell you that you failed them and not get defensive? Parents of nine on faith and AI.

About This Episode Could you let your own child tell you that you failed them and not get defensive? Aaron sits back down with longtime friends Isaac and Angie Tolpin, parents of nine with their sixth grandchild on the way, hosts of the Courageous Parenting Podcast, and pastors of a church they planted eighteen months ago, on the very day their new book, Courageous Parenting: Biblical Parenting in Unprecedented Times, launched on Amazon. They dig into why the word Christian has lost its weight, why so many kids walk away from church by 18, and what families gain when children stay in the room for sermons, baptisms, and communion. Angie shares how God disciplined her before a conference talk and why hearing hard truth from your child is a test of humility. Then the conversation turns to AI: why parents can't hide from it, how to build creative confidence before the screen, and the one thing that truly prepares kids for an unknown future.

About Isaac & Angie Tolpin Isaac and Angie Tolpin are the hosts of the Courageous Parenting Podcast and the founders of Be Courageous Ministry, a discipleship-focused ministry built around equipping Christian parents to raise kids rooted in the Word of God. Parents of nine children with their sixth grandchild on the way, they recently planted a church in Horseshoe Bend, Idaho and have just released their newest book, Courageous Parenting: Biblical Parenting in Unprecedented Times. Angie is also the author of Redeeming Childbirth (2012).

In This Episode 00:00 — Intro — Could you let your child tell you that you failed them and not get defensive? 00:38 — Meet Isaac and Angie Tolpin — Parents of nine with a sixth grandchild on the way, hosts of Courageous Parenting, and church planters of eighteen months. 01:50 — Launch day for Courageous Parenting — Recorded the day the book hit Amazon, their first paperback since Redeeming Childbirth in 2012. 03:09 — Why books matter in the age of AI — The power of the written word, and how 400 podcast episodes became 31 biblically grounded topics. 06:33 — Twelve years of friendship — Home church together, helping launch the Horseshoe Bend church, and every stage of parenting under one roof. 09:03 — What parents are waking up to — The word Christian doesn't mean much anymore, and families are starving for authentic connection. 11:45 — The biblical community crisis — The most-asked question Be Courageous gets, and how church became a one-hour event. 13:00 — Keeping kids in the service — The fruit of children being present for sermons, baptisms, and communion instead of separated into programs. 14:04 — Quantity time and Acts 2:42 — Come for the body of Christ, not the sermon; what the first-century church actually did. 15:31 — Christian vs. Christ follower — Fruit reveals faith, and why normal Christian rhythms won't defy the two-thirds statistic. 16:55 — Friendly fire for countercultural parents — Feeling like salmon swimming upstream even inside your own church community. 18:14 — Called to fellowship, not an event — Why community at the gym isn't a substitute for the gathered church, and why parents are the lid to their kids' growth. 20:55 — Jesus needed his friends too — Gethsemane, the family-integrated church, and why kids leave when they're separated out. 22:48 — Let the children come — Your child's faith may be purer than yours, and children rise to the responsibility they're given. 24:52 — Calling kids up in the body of Christ — Planting a church as a family mission trip, and a three-year-old dragging chairs through the gravel. 26:56 — Two lies about kids and faith — "I won't force my faith on them" and "they're not saved until they say the prayer"; don't partner with doubt. 29:37 — Adults need children in the room — A child's worship and attentiveness keeps parents accountable, even mid-conflict. 30:39 — Humility: apologizing to your kids — Crushing pride in the family culture, and not taking communion until everyone at home is right with each other. 32:57 — When God disciplined Angie — Reconciling with her child before speaking at Teach Them Diligently, and the "thank you, Mom" that followed. 34:23 — If you can't hear that you failed them — Identity in Christ makes it safe to hear where you've fallen short; the most powerful message of the conference. 36:05 — AI is here to stay — Why believing parents need to be on the cutting edge instead of hiding from it. 37:42 — Why the Amish loved an AI talk — Seven reasons to dislike AI, why homeschoolers still must teach it, and a sharper double-edged sword than social media. 39:36 — Barriers to entry are gone — Kids can build an app in a week; Aaron's 13-year-old building a river game on a road trip, and the 15-year-old who hired a 38-year-old. 41:44 — Creative confidence before AI — Lazy brains get rotted; the 18-year-old who spent six hours writing a funeral prayer, and where the Tolpins draw the line. 44:06 — The pendulum toward what's real — Nothing new under the sun, the book's certified-human disclaimer, and Aaron's AI Daily Brief recommendation. 47:56 — The tale of two plumbers — Why no business can compete without AI, even the most AI-resistant profession. 50:03 — The industrial revolution parallel — Who won and who faded when the world changed fast, and why you must adapt sooner than feels obvious. 52:03 — God's Word applies to every topic — Saturate yourself in Scripture, what AI can't replace in ministry, and why you must test everything you hear. 56:22 — Encouragement for overwhelmed parents — If you do one thing well, teach your kids about God; anxious parents raise anxious kids, so fast from what steals your trust. 59:33 — Five years left and a known God — Relational connection, resilience, an unchanging God, and where to find Courageous Parenting.

Scripture Referenced Acts 2:42, Matthew 7:16, Matthew 7:24–27, Matthew 10:16, Matthew 18:3, Matthew 18:6, Matthew 19:14, Ecclesiastes 1:9, 2 Timothy 4:3, Philippians 4:6, Hebrews 12:6, 1 John 1:9, 1 John 4:1

Resources from This Episode Courageous Parenting: Biblical Parenting in Unprecedented Times by Isaac & Angie Tolpin becourageousministry.org — Be Courageous Ministry, the Courageous Parenting Podcast, ebooks, and resources Redeeming Childbirth by Angie Tolpin (2012) The AI Daily Brief podcast — Aaron's recommendation for parents getting up to speed on AI Full show notes and blog post

Your Marriage Can Heal — Even If You're the Only One Working On It with Belah Rose Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

Belah Rose on the 1–10 marriage health scale, the SHORE apology framework, and why pride is the chief enemy

About This Episode What if your marriage could heal even if your spouse never joins you in the work? Belah Rose, founder of Delight Your Marriage, has coached more than 500 couples and has watched it happen hundreds of times. Aaron sits down with Belah to talk about why pride is the chief enemy of every marriage, what it looks like for one husband or wife to take the lead in healing, and the apology framework that gets the rot out of the foundation. Belah shares her own story: a first marriage that ended in divorce, years of anger at God, and a kind husband whose love pointed her back to Jesus. Along the way she unpacks the Delight Your Marriage framework, the 1–10 marriage health scale, why your openness has to match where your marriage actually is, and the SHORE apology (Specific, Humble, Own, Repair, Exonerate). If you feel like the only one trying, this conversation is for you.

About Belah Rose Belah Rose is the founder of Delight Your Marriage, a faith-centered coaching organization that has served over 500 couples. She started with the book Delight Your Husband in 2014, launched the Delight Your Marriage podcast in 2015, and has since built out full coaching programs for men and women, including Masculinity Reclaimed for husbands and a graduate community for ongoing growth. Belah coaches men and women separately, and the results her clients experience often surprise the unparticipating spouse most. Her own story of a first marriage that ended in divorce, a season of anger at God, and a second chance shapes everything she teaches.

In This Episode 00:00 — Intro — Aaron previews Belah's claim that even one willing spouse can heal a marriage, plus a listener discount on her coaching 00:48 — Meet Belah Rose — How Aaron and Belah connected, and how Jennifer was a guest on Belah's podcast nearly a decade ago 01:39 — From a book to coaching programs — Delight Your Husband (2014), the podcast (2015), and why Belah coaches men and women separately 03:06 — Masculinity Reclaimed — Husbands kept asking for help, so Belah piloted a men's program whose results surprised wives who never knew 04:24 — Belah's testimony — Marrying young with just a Bible, a first marriage crushed by criticism, and the divorce she takes ownership of 06:38 — Angry at God — Walking away from faith, doing relationships her own way, and meeting the kind man who cared about her heart 09:14 — What God convicted her of — Disrespect, mothering, and a lack of admiration on her side; feeling unknown and uncherished on his 11:25 — The Delight Your Marriage framework — Men need respect, admiration, and wholehearted intimacy; wives need to feel safe, known, and cherished 12:28 — Rebuilding intimacy with God — Letting go of a dogmatic definition of good, and how emotional, physical, and spiritual intimacy feed each other 18:09 — Loving your spouse as yourself — Aaron on oneness: the way you love your spouse reveals the way you love yourself 20:08 — Can one spouse heal a marriage? — How to obey God without becoming a doormat, and aiming for well done, good and faithful servant 21:55 — The 1–10 marriage health scale — Why openness must match your marriage's health, and why advice for a 9 can backfire at a 2 23:06 — Love them the way they receive love — Vanilla versus chocolate, being strategic for a season, then forgiveness, repentance, and listening 25:19 — Honesty versus wisdom — Never dishonesty, but wisdom about what you open up about, and getting the plank out of your own eye first 27:28 — Seek first the kingdom — A healed marriage as the byproduct of delighting in the Lord and loving your spouse because you love their Father 28:42 — Your marriage is your first ministry — Two have become one; minister to your spouse the way Christ ministers to you 30:00 — Attract, don't control — Gratitude, laughter, specific encouragement, and the open-cabinet lesson on playfulness 33:18 — Repentance disarms — Aaron on apologizing without qualifying it and encouraging your spouse every single day 36:42 — The SHORE apology framework — Specific, Humble, Own, Repair, Exonerate, and why a wife's flood of feelings is the answers to the test 39:12 — Don't control their response — Repentance is on your side; release your spouse from blame and rip out the rotted wood 41:31 — Confessing hidden sin — Infidelity, pornography, addiction: hidden sin already hurts your spouse, so fear God rather than their reaction 44:24 — What's dividing spouses right now — Pride and self-righteousness, wives controlling out of fear, and husbands never trained to make a wife feel safe 46:26 — Masculinity is protection — Jesus as the manliest of men who was never harsh to women, and why safety comes before respect 48:37 — Walking in the Spirit, not the curse — Strength is for protecting the weak; control and passivity are the flesh's answer 51:14 — Compassion for men today — Dump-him sweaters and men-disappoint billboards; don't give up, even if only you do the work 53:11 — Where to find Belah — delightyourmarriage.com or dymarriage.com, a free clarity call, and reaching couples before divorce papers arrive

Scripture Referenced Genesis 2:24, Song of Solomon, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 7:3–5, Matthew 22:39, Matthew 25:21, Mark 5:25–34, Luke 7:11–17, Luke 7:36–50, John 8:1–11, John 19:26–27, Romans 8:28, Romans 8:31, Galatians 5:16–23, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, James 1:15

Resources from This Episode Delight Your Marriage — Belah's coaching programs, podcast, and free clarity call (mention Marriage After God for a listener discount) DYMarriage.com — Shorter URL for the same site Delight Your Husband by Belah Rose

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected